In Singapore, Google searches on a brand can jump up to more than 50 per cent after a collaboration with K-pop boy band BTS, according to the latest study by e-commerce aggregator iPrice on 8 July.
iPrice’s study revealed that collaborations with the seven-member South Korean boy band have significantly increased Singaporeans’ interest in popular brands like McDonald’s, Louis Vuitton, Coca-Cola, and Samsung.
It noted that McDonald’s earned an eight per cent increase in search interest compared to the same period last year, just two weeks after the launch of the BTS meal.
“Surprisingly, when compared to the same period before the pandemic, this collaboration recorded a whopping 81 per cent increase in Google search volume, signifying McDonald’s growing brand awareness islandwide,” said the e-commerce platform.
iPrice also stated that Google searches on Louis Vuitton and Coca-Cola have increased by 46 per cent and 14 per cent among Singapore consumers, respectively, after collaborating with BTS, as compared to the same period last year.
What’s more, Samsung released a BTS edition of Galaxy S20+ last July, which resulted in a 53 per cent increase in brand searches in Singapore, compared to the same period in 2019.
iPrice added that BTS’s collaboration with Fila also gained a 16 per cent spike in brand interest in 2019.
iPrice also determined who Southeast Asia’s top BTS biases are – which means a favourite member in the boy band – given that each member of the Korean boy band has a fan base of their own.
The study found that BTS’ fans would spend an average of $1,422 on their merchandise, tickets, and albums.
In Singapore, Jungkook tops the list, accounting for over 26 per cent of the country’s searches.
This is followed by V (25%), Jimin (20%), Jin (10%), Suga (8%), RM (7%), and J-hope (3%).
In Southeast Asia, people seem to be Googling V the most, averaging 29 per cent of the search volume, followed by Jungkook at 26 per cent, and Jimin at 18 per cent.
Meanwhile, Vietnam seems to have a soft spot for the oldest BTS member, Jin, as he ranks #3 in the country.
